Natural Mage (Magical Mayhem #2)(67)

On the other side of the steps, standing in the shadows with his hands in his pockets, was the man who had walked away. Who’d told me to move on.

He’d come back.

“Who’s that beyond my stairs?” Reagan asked. “He’s a big dude. He can handle himself in a fight, I can tell.” A surge of her magic filled the car.

“Emery,” I whispered. “The Rogue Natural.”

She gave a long, low whistle. “Are you sure he’s not a vampire?”

“Of course I’m sure. Why?”

“Because he is a looker. Am I going to like him or hate him?”

“I don’t care.”

She flinched away from me with a giant smile. “Oooh, he’s good for you. I suspect I’m going to like him. Come on, let’s go meet Romeo.”

“Where the hell have you been?” Callie demanded as soon as Reagan half stepped out of the car. “I have been waiting here for nearly an hour, worried sick. Do you not know how to use your phone? Are those your battle leathers? Reagan Somerset, you had better start explaining yourself, or I’m going to rip your magic away and beat you with it.”

“That’s not even possible. Did you make sure you weren’t followed?”

Callie pointed at Emery. “With his help, yes. Very helpful, trained naturals.”

Reagan walked around to my side and tapped on my window. “Out ye git.”

My eyes were locked on Emery’s, and I delighted in the power surging between us, open and raw and wild. This was how I’d felt with those witches, only a hundred times more powerful and thrilling. It occurred to me that while he’d been trained the traditional way, he’d never acted covetous of his power or magical knowledge. He’d figured out almost immediately that I liked to share, and he’d allowed me to do just that. He’d never once shut me out, and when he had been teaching me, he’d never done so at a distance.

If it hadn’t been for him, I wouldn’t have known what properly working magic felt like for me. I would’ve tried to adapt to Callie and Dizzy’s way of things. He’d made it so I didn’t have to.

I owed him so much.

And now he was here.

Reagan knocked on my window again. “Your social awkwardness is really pushing the limits right now.”

Emery shifted a little, his big shoulders coming around so that he was facing the others. His deep voice rumbled through me, though the words didn’t take any shape.

“Nonsense. She’s just worried about what I’m going to do to her,” Callie said, snatching the keys out of Reagan’s hand and bending to the door. “Where are the locks? What car doesn’t have locks? There is nothing super about a car with no locks.”

“Just get the key fob close and it opens for you. How old is that Merc of yours?” Reagan asked.

“I drive a sensible car. With locks.” Callie did as Reagan said before pulling open the door. “Get out this instant, young lady. I do not know what that vampire was thinking, pairing you with this lunatic.” She hooked a finger at Reagan. “And I certainly don’t know what that lunatic was doing out at odd hours in the night, bringing an untrained—”

“Let’s do this inside, hon. You’ll wake all the neighbors.” Dizzy tried to shepherd her toward the stairs. “This neighborhood is probably armed.”

I clasped my hands in front of me and walked toward the stairs slowly, wanting to run to Emery and throw my arms around his neck. Wanting him to kiss me and hold me and tell me about his adventures.

Another part of me wanted to cry, to sob like a wreck and feel his arms wrap around me, for him to promise that everything would be okay.

Still another part wanted to punch him right in the face, wiping away that blank expression and eliciting some sort of emotion, even if it was anger or annoyance.

“And why did you lock me out of this house?” Callie demanded, standing at the top of the stairs with her hand held out, ready for the blood offering. “Is this your life now? No physical locks on anything?”

Reagan laughed as she climbed the stairs after Callie, pulling her sword.

“Oh now, Reagan, that’s a little much for a tiny drop of blood, don’t you think?” Dizzy asked, shrinking away from her.

“Let her try to lop off my hand. See what happens to her.” Callie lifted her chin, her hand still out.

I drifted toward the middle at the bottom of the stairs and waited, glancing Emery’s way. As if on cue, he stepped out and joined me. The air between our bodies heated with electricity.

“Hi, Turdswallop,” he said softly.





29





My heart expanded to ten times its normal size at the sound of that ridiculous nickname. I couldn’t help huffing out a laugh, expelling some of my pent-up energy. “Hi. You look good. Fresh.”

“Darius’s people cleaned me up and dressed me. Like last time.”

I nodded, waiting for Reagan to put away her sword and take out a dagger. She was like a weapons store when she went out to battle.

“Marie bought me a bunch of new clothes,” I said. “One ugly dress and suddenly I’m a pity case.”

He laughed and his body shifted, his chest pointed a little more in my direction. He leaned a little closer. I felt his desire to be near, and wanted to answer it with my own.